Melo is shooting better as the #1 option, although Harden does have the TS% advantage due to the fact he makes more FTs. Harden has more facilitating skills than Melo, but some of that is also due to the fact that Houston doesn't have a true PG whereas the Knicks have Felton and Kidd on their roster.

Defensively, they are both subpar so no argument there.

And yes, Harden is 5 years younger which would be something to consider when building a franchise.

Most importantly, the Knicks are 3rd in the East at 9-4 while the Rockets are 10th in the West at 6-7.

It's Melo. I'd say about 70-80% of Melo's shot selection this year are all good shots, vs. the previous season where he had to create and force a lot of shots for himself. Harden also suffers from what Carmelo does and both players tend to hero-ball a little, but Melo is an overall better player.

I think nothing of value can be garnered over the current sample and that this comparison is a non-starter.

Stylistically speaking, Harden does more for his teammates in a general sense because he's a more effective on-ball guy on the perimeter. But Melo's having a great year and looking like he's fitting in really well with the talent around him in New York at the moment, proving that if you build correctly around him, he's capable of some pretty impressive things.

We won't wait, but the best time to begin this comparison would be after both of their seasons are over (e.g. end of the season/end of their playoff run). And even then, opportunity and teammates will have dictated a lot of that.

Harden due to a better all around game of scoring and passing and presumed upside if we're extending it past this year (I believe Harden's upside is league MVP and a level above where Melo will ever get to)

CBA wrote:Harden. Better on offense, at least equal on defense, and younger.

Please tell me how Harden is better on offense than the best scorer in the league?

The best scorer in the league is Kevin Durant and the 2nd best would be Lebron James. After that, it is between Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant, but James Harden is certainly not a better scorer than Carmelo Anthony.

CBA wrote:Harden. Better on offense, at least equal on defense, and younger.

Please tell me how Harden is better on offense than the best scorer in the league?

The best scorer in the league is Kevin Durant and the 2nd best would be Lebron James. After that, it is between Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant, but James Harden is certainly not a better scorer than Carmelo Anthony.

Well, I guess it's your opinion. I like how Melo scores other than just jumpshots, and is really skilled.

CBA wrote:Harden. Better on offense, at least equal on defense, and younger.

Please tell me how Harden is better on offense than the best scorer in the league?

Offense is more than scoring. Melo is a better scorer no doubt, but Harden adds assists to the team. So essentially you combine his effiency, scoring and assists together and that shows how much he helps out offensively.

No he isn't. Right now, on his unsustainable, outlier 3pt shooting streak, he's the third-best scorer in the league. When that regresses, and it will (though not to terribly low levels), he will go back to being what he was: a really good scorer behind Durant and Lebron (Kobe will also regress over the course of the season).

I don't understand the fetishism over diversity here; even this season, Melo's barely posting more points per game than Lebron without any comparable second-option scorers on his team and isn't doing it as efficiently. Just because you can try to score in a broader variety of ways doesn't make you better, it makes you slightly more foolish for not specializing and exploiting the gifts which you DO possess. Melo's shot selection is pretty rough, and that's a flaw, it's a big part of why he's consistently less efficient than Lebron.

More particularly, there isn't even huge separation between Melo and Lebron in terms of mid-range efficacy or overall shooting. Literally nothing suggests that Melo is the superior scorer. He can be, at times, more fun to watch and he's having a fantastic season right now; he surely uses a wider range of moves but none of that makes him a better scorer or offensive player than Lebron. Nor does it make Kobe better than Lebron. They have more "polish," but it doesn't translate to superior results, so it doesn't actually mean anything.